Boiler skimmer



Sept. 25, 1951 A, GIESEN 2,569,160

BOILER SKIMMER Filed Dec. 9, 1949 INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOILER SKIMMER Arthur Alfred Giesen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Boiler Specialties Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 9, 1949, Serial No. 131,977

ing load and operating conditions so that blowdown may be from below the surface at points of lesser concentration of solids or above the water level, resulting in loss of valuable steam. The present invention relates to an improved type of floating skimmer which may be permanently maintained in the desired relationship to the water surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved skimmer for steam boiler blowdown.

It is a further object to provide a skimmer of this type provided with floats and with the skimmer adjustably connected thereto so that its relationship to the liquid level may be varied.

It is another object to provide a skimmer of this type having fixed guides to locate the skimmer and guide its movement upon variation in liquid levels, said means being sufficiently yielding to prevent jamming of the parts. a

It is also an object to providea skimmer having a trough and a screen above the trough to trap and break bubbles carrying solids whereby the solids are deposited in the trough.

It is an additional object to provide a device which is simple in design and construction and adapted for commercial production and use.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

I have shown certain preferred embodiments of my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus installed in a boiler;

Figure 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the trough.

The invention is shown in Figure 1 as applied to a fire tube boiler having the upper wall I l, fire tubes l3 and containing water to the level indicated at I5. The guide rod bracket I1 is secured 6 Claims. (Cl. 122-389) to the inner face of the boiler wall I I by the studs l8. Two pairs 20 and 22 of guide rods extend downwardly from the bracket l1, being rigidly connected to the bracket by the nuts 24 and 25.

The pairs of guide rods 20 and 22 are joined at'their lower ends by members 21 and 28 to maintain the individual pairs uniformly spaced throughout their length. The two members 21 and 28 are connected by a bar 3|] which serves to maintain the two pairs of spacers parallel.

The skimmer comprises the trough 32 having its lateral edges inturned to form stifiening beads 33. The ends 35 of the trough are separate members welded in place and having upper horizontal flanges 31, the ends of which are welded to the inturned beads 33. This affords a stiff structure which will stand up under use without flexing. The elbow 39 is connected to the under side sired place for discharge of the blowdown, steam,

water and entrained material.

The ends 35 of the trough 32 are provided with bolt holes 48 through which pass a plurality of bolts 50 securing the ends of the trough to the brackets 52. These brackets 52 pass between the pairs of guide rods 20 and 22 and are connected by bolts 54 to the globular floats 55. Guard members 51 are secured to the floats 55 by the same bolts 54 which secure the brackets 52 in place. These guard members 51 are formed of relatively flexible and resilient material and have transverse corrugations, as shown, for the purpose of rendering them more flexible transversely of the corrugations. The guards 51 normally contact the outside faces of the spaced guide rods 20 and 22, these guards 51 being of substantial width, as shown clearly in Figure 2.

The screen 59 is connected by tabs 61 to the brackets 52 by means of bolts 63. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the screen has its central portion located adjacent the top of the trough, while the lateral portions 65 of the screen flare upwardly and outwardly extending above and beyond the edges of the trough 32. The screen, as shown, comprises a sheet of metal provided with a plurality of relatively closely spaced perforations.

All of the elements of the construction shown are preferably formed of corrosion-resistant metal which will stand up under the conditions which are obtained in high temperature boilers.

Various types of stainless steel are suitable for the purpose.

In the installation of the skimmer, its location relative to the water level may be varied by connecting the trough 32 and screen 59 at different heights on the brackets 52, a plurality of spaced perforations being provided in the vertical portions of the brackets for that purpose. The skimmer may be easily installed in boilers by the drilling and tapping of suitable holes for the securing studs 18. It will be understood that the particular configuration of the bracket I! and its exact dimensions will depend upon the type and shape of boiler in which the skimmer is installed. The blocks 21 and 28 and connecting rod 30 together form a template for making the necessary holes in the bracket for hanging the skimmer therefrom.

The skimmer construction shown provides automatic continuous blowdown at a predetermined point near the water surface, regardless of fluctuation of water level. The adjustment of the trough 32 relative to the brackets 52 depends upon boiler operating pressures, steaming conditions and blowdown requirements and is set at the time the installation is made. The perforated steel screen 59 mounted over the trough 32 serves to delay the rapid passage of steam bubbles and to cause a large percentage of such bubbles to break over the trough 32. These bubbles have suspended solids adhering to their outer surfaces and, when they break against the screen, they tend to deposit these solids in the trough 32. Due to the speedy circulation, ebullience and surface turbulence in the boiler, suspended solids move rapidly and continuously throughout the water therein. The water inside of the submerged skimmer trough 32, however, remains relatively quiet and, consequently, a higher percentage of trapped suspended solids are discharged through the blow-off than could be accomplished without the provision of the trough. In addition, the screen 59 aids very substantially in trapping the solids and causing them to be deposited in the trough.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is capable of variation to meet difierent conditions and requirements, and I contemplate such modifications as come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a skimmer for removing entrained solids from boilers and the like, a plurality of spaced pairs of guide members adapted to be secured to a boiler structure, a trough, a conduit leading 4 from the trough, and a plurality of floats, brackets connecting the floats to the trough, said brackets fitting slidably between pairs of guide members.

2. In a skimmer for removing entrained solids from boilers and the like, a plurality of spaced pairs of guide members adapted to be secured to a boiler structure, a trough, a conduit leading from the trough, a plurality of floats, brackets connecting the floats to the trough, said brackets fitting slidably between pairs of guide members, and resilient members extending from the floats into engagement with the guide members.

3. In a skimmer for removing entrained solids from boilers and the like, a trough, buoyant means for supporting the trough below the liquid level in the boiler, and a screen located above the trough having at least a portion thereof below the liquid level and having edge portions spaced from the upper surface of the trough,

4. In a skimmer for removing entrained solids from boilers and the like, a trough, buoyant means for supporting the trough below the liquid level in the boiler, and a screen located above the trough having a central portion approximately in the plane of the upper surface of the trough and having portions spaced from the trough, said portions being upwardly and outwardly flared lateral edge portions.

5. In a skimmer for removing entrained solids from boilers and the like, an elongated trough, floats secured by brackets to each end of the trough, and a screen connected to the brackets above the trough and extending over the trough with edge portions of the screen spaced from the edge portions of the trough.

6. In a skimmer for removing entrained solids from boilers and the like, an elongated trough, floats secured by brackets to each end of the trough, and a screen connected to the brackets and extending over the trough, said screen having upwardly and outwardly flared portions extending above and beyond the edges of the trough.

ARTHUR ALFRED GIESEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Hale Sept. 9, 1947 

